Tekken: Red Mist
by Desiderio
Summary: It only takes one step. As one grows, the world around them can go one way or the other. For a man who was nearly killed as a child by his own father, it's a miracle he hasn't completely snapped. However...as we all know, things can change on the dot. If that time comes to Kazuya...who will save him? Because right now, all Kazuya knows is paradise...and the monster inside.
1. The Announcement

Author's Note: "Wish me luck!"

"I don't wish you luck! I wish you SENSE!"

"...Good luck kiddo..."

Hello everyone, welcome to this newest idea I have!

Currently I have two other stories, another Tekken one called A World Reborn, and a Naruto one called Another Road. However, recently, especially after updating my other Tekken story, a sudden idea struck me. What would Kazuya be like if he had never been insane, or an arrogant jerk like Namco seems to like him as?

To better word it, how would the world of Tekken change if Kazuya had complete control of the Devil Gene FROM THE START and 'Devil' never got his fucked up chance to seemingly possess Kazuya, or for that matter, never even existed? Well, I decided to make my own take on that idea, one that could stretch far into the Tekken story.

However, this story is in it's baby stages, because I literally thought of it just recently, so this first chapter is only here to set the key elements in which, if there is enough demand or positive feedback on it, I will probably be inclined to continue.

Anyway, please read on and, if you like enough, PLEASE tell me if it's worth it to make this kind of change to Tekken.

Now please, enjoy. :)

Tekken

Red Mist

Chapter One

The Announcement

* * *

Looking out at the waves did little to calm his spirit.

One would wonder why, especially because of the beauty of these secluded islands. There were a total of three of them in this part of the ocean, and smaller pieces of land were scattered around. Each of the three had an acceptable amount of other people living on them to sustain the population, but this particular individual honestly didn't care. All that he owned was the small house he himself had built several years ago, and in his mind, living out here far from everything and everyone on the mainland that pissed him off was truly heaven.

Money that he earned in the endeavors he made was more than most people make in a year, so it wasn't as if he was living like a caveman. Of course, he still only had the bare essentials. Also, living out here and mostly spending his time out of the house and right in the center of nature kept him relaxed better than any other method he knew of. However, as he sat on the tree stump at the edge of the beach, he took another look at the newspaper he had...and once again, he moved his hair out of the way.

Living out here in what he could almost consider self-exile, he never liked the idea of having to always cut and manage his hair, so these past few years, he has allowed it to grow. But back to what was important here, his expression became that of irritation when his eyes landed on the front page.

There had been many martial arts tournaments that this particular man had participated in, which is where he got all his money from, and every single one of them he won, making him an undisputed champion...except for that one instance where he had fought a man called Paul Phoenix. Their fight had ended in a draw, but that was only because...well, it had been a public event. If it had been a battle to the death, this man would have had plenty of reason to use his unique hereditary trait.

He spared a glance to his hands.

It had been years since he realized he was unique, but the first transformation of his life on that fateful night came rushing back to the surface. If memory served, the first thing that had changed were his nails, which had become claws, and then...

He popped his neck in disinterest. That wasn't important right now. What _was_ important however, was the story on the front page of the newspaper. As was stated, this man had participated in many tournaments, but he knew that now, they were nothing compared to _this._

It was the announcement of the first King Of The Iron Fist Tournament.

The sponsor of this event was a man that made his blood boil. He knew him well, after all...the sponsor, Heihachi Mishima, CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, was his father. {_Hn, I wonder what that old bastard is plotting..._} In some areas, he could already guess, but it didn't matter to him. He could have, and still can easily reach the Zaibatsu to kill Heihachi if he wanted to.

He could easily assume his...demonic form and fly all the way there, but figured the effort wouldn't be worth it if he had to put the lives of others on the line. The only person who he had the urge to mutilate to the point that the body would be unrecognizable was Heihachi, and the man was rarely on his own. A clash between the two of them would easily kill anyone around to watch.

He flipped through a few pages of the newspaper, but he wasn't interested in much else.

Taking a moment to contemplate what he wanted to do, he then stood up and looked out at the ocean again. "..." With the breeze being cool and at an acceptable speed, he felt, once again, glad from making the decision to live out here. Right now, he was wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts, both very form-fitting on him because of how heavily muscled he was, and what he liked about being out here was that he could wear clothes that he would feel weird if wearing in places with other people, no matter how common it was.

"Hn..." He rolled up the paper and wrapped the rubber band around it. He then tossed it to the side, next to the grill and other things he had brought out here from the house.

Then, he decided to take a stroll around the beach. As it were, he had plenty of reason to participate. If he didn't show up, news of him not going to this tournament would be all over the place, but then again, he didn't care what others thought on the matter. No, the only real reason he would care about going would be to put his father in his place...that is, if he didn't get the opportunity to outright kill him.

Even to this day, the scar that will forever remind him of the terrifying moment in his life where he was thrown into that ravine by his father, refused to disappear. His guess was that it, along with the other cuts he had on his body, were made before his bloodline ability had awoken. Nowadays, whenever he was cut or damaged in any way, his heightened regenerative capabilities always came through very quickly.

That wasn't the case for any scars and such that he had before then.

He continued walking along the beach, boredom weighing heavily upon him. {_He probably wants to see how much I've improved...hn, or he just wants to try and rub it in my face if he beats me in a fight...yes, it's probably that...if he only knew how insignificant he is now in comparison to me._} If he were a few years younger, this man would probably be thinking that out of arrogance.

However, that was not the case now.

He had learned much from watching others, and as a person, he was much more calm and level-headed than he was before. Any time he entered a fight, he always took his opponent seriously, no matter how weak or ridiculous they looked. It had initially been difficult at first when his first transformation overtook him...after all, as a unique and more powerful human, to the point that he could be considered _beyond_ human, it had been a little difficult to fight down this feeling of invincibility, which would normally make the average person very vain and arrogant in their power.

He didn't fall into that trap however. That said, the reason he knew that Heihachi would fall by his hand was because he knew the differences in their strength...and in their blood. He only vaguely remembered his mother, but if Heihachi had obviously not unlocked these strange devil-like abilities, then this man knew that the strength of his blood, came from his mother.

And honestly, using the abilities passed down to him by his mother to put that arrogant fuck in his place was very much something he would enjoy doing. It wasn't as if Heihachi loved his mother to the day she died. But regardless, this long-haired man breathed in and out several times, relaxing as the cool breeze coming off the ocean, caressed his body. {_I guess I'll go to this tournament and gladly break his neck...when the cameras aren't around that is. Besides, I'm running low on money anyway._}

With his decision made, he now knew that all he would do today is relax, just like he did every weekend. The newspaper stated that the tournament would be held next month, during october, and 'coincidentally' enough, it would be so that the final round would be held on Halloween Night. This was the exact reason that Kazuya knew this tournament was meant to draw him in, because when he was a child, he had often loved the American holiday known as Halloween.

{_Hn, how fitting..._} He thought. If all went down as he thought, and he faced his father on Halloween Night...well, the monster inside would more than likely come out.

Unless of course, the strange white entity that has been invading his dreams lately would show up.

For a few months now, he has been having a dream where no matter where he was, he was always visited. It was strange because...in each dream that he had, he was always about to kill a random person at the end of it, but every single time, a strange entity that was shrouded in white light would always appear to stop him.

Bending down slightly, he picked up the body of a small species of squid that had had washed onto the shore. He examined it and quickly made the decision that it was ripe enough to be a part of his dinner tonight, and he continued to think about these strange events that have been occurring in his dreams. As he knew well, each and every single time, he would just wait and see if the thing would attack him or not.

For some reason, the entity would just 'stand' there, as if expecting him to approach, and every single time, he felt that that was what the entity wanted...and every single time it would say his name.

_"Kazuya..."_

The man himself never really remembered anyone having spoke to him in such a way, but he just knew that this entity was either a spirit, perhaps his mother, or a vision of someone he has yet to meet. Either way, it was a little irritating, because he knew that for SOME FUCKING REASON, this entity would eventually turn out to be someone who would try and stop him from killing Heihachi.

Pfft, as if he was going to be bothered by this. He wasn't like superstitious nutbags that always took even the smallest strange occurrence as a sign. Okay, so he was definately experiencing something he completely acknowledged because of how supernatural it seemed, but that didn't mean he was going to get all dramatic about it. If he's stopped by this presumably awesome being from killing his father, then damn, he respected whoever had enough strength to do so, and that would be the end of it.

He chuckled.

Either way, he was going to defeat that pompous, deranged lunatic. One billion dollars as the reward would very much be welcome. Heihachi could keep the Zaibatsu, even though Kazuya knew in his heart that the bastard had stolen it from his grandfather. He had considered taking it from him in honor of Jinpachi, but he also had no interest in running a business that had nothing to do with what he wanted in life.

In actuality, he had no life-long goals. With his one billion dollar reward coming up, he knew he would be set for life...or at least a decade if he had any intention of traveling the world.

Anyway, as he went back to the treeline, he saw a few thick coconuts just laying there under the palm tree that they most likely fell out of. With a smirk, he picked up three of them and began heading straight back for home.

OOO

**Later That Night...**

"Hagh..."

Kazuya was very full after an amazing feast, from the squid, to the unique species of bird found on the islands, and then the coconut juice and meat. It showed on his look of content. While he wasn't exactly smiling, his face clearly showed that he was pleased. Right now, he was sitting on the balcony of his two story house, and all but the lights to the kitchen were off.

He softly yawned, his left hand over his mouth. If there was anything he believed in, it was that right now, he was definately living the life. As was stated earlier, he had no real life goals. He was just content with seeing beautiful days and beautiful nights like this in every moment of his life...or at least that's what he told himself. And he felt he was right, because right now, turning his head to the left and seeing almost the entirety of the island, from the trees below, down to the establishment where everyone else lived, to the ocean, and then, to the full moon and star-filled sky...it was all just breathtaking.

However...a familiar and negative feeling began to make itself known once again. It was a very unwelcome feeling in his chest, as if his lungs were being gently squished. It wasn't actually happening, as it was more of a metaphor for this strange emotion he would feel at times like this, when he thought he had everything he could ever want. When he considered the more prominent fact that he was living out here on his own, with not so much contact with other people...well...

He began to stand up with a grunt, and once fully on his feet, he calmly took his shirt off.

Now, he knew what he wanted to do next, as he did every night, especially when he needed to cool off. Ever since...his first transformation, he figured out that he had the ability to sprout very large wings from his back. They weren't exactly pretty, but they _were_ intimidating, which was just how he liked it. It was one of the many reasons that Kazuya decided he wanted to live as far away from other humans as he could.

Being on headline news as a mysterious 'vampire-like humanoid' would just bring unwanted attention to him.

But anyway, Kazuya's mastery with his bloodline was great enough to the point he could change or enhance several areas on his body, rather then just completely transforming.

Anyone watching him right now would fully understand that.

He sighed in content when he saw the purplish glow coming from behind him.

...

One must simply marvel at such a sight.

_ssssssss..._

Imagine, a mystical violet aura expanding from Kazuya's back, and from the aura, two very large, obsidian black wings formed, seemingly out of nothing, but in reality, was conjured from the demonic energy and flesh that Kazuya held within himself. As the new limbs cracked and popped into existence, even sizzling like fresh meat on flat iron, Kazuya's irides changed color, from onyx black to blood red. Even his pupils were red, just darker then the pools that surrounded them.

With a single flap, the powerful aura was dissipated, and Kazuya then expanded his dark wings, flexing his adjusted muscles and feeling the enormous amount of strength he just added to his body. "..." He couldn't help but half-smirk. If there was anything in life he was grateful for, it was the genes that his mother passed down to him. She may not have been with him for the entirety, or even a significant amount of his childhood, but she left her mark, one that allows him freedom beyond what any other human on earth could ever have.

"..." Kazuya looked around.

When he moved to this island, he knew from the start that he wanted his future home built at a high enough altitude where he could see everything, and that was exactly what he got. All he had to do was look down, and just like always, there was a great distance from his house, specifically the balcony, to the trees below. His home was situated on the side of a mountain, a side that he himself carved out with his demonic abilities.

He chuckled, and then, he took a step forward. {_Enough is enough. Time to get rid of this uncomfortable feeling in my chest._}

With that last thought, Kazuya bent down on his haunches...then, putting the required amount of strength needed, he jumped high into the air...and expanded his wings. His expression became that of soft bliss...and gravity did it's part. With another smirk, he flew straight down passed his home, and the rushing air filled him with a feeling he would never tire from.

It was that sense of freedom.

How many humans on earth wished they could do what he was doing right now? {_Hn, skydiving is one of the few things that come close to this..._} Kazuya closed his eyes as euphoria took over, and he changed his flight path. His wings angled differently, and the next thing he knew, he was flying right over the trees, his speed reaching sixty miles an hour very easily.

His long dark hair swayed here and there, and anyone who would have somehow been able to record him from the front with an HD camera, would have captured a somewhat elegant view. Unlike usual, Kazuya wasn't glaring at anything. No, he was smirking, and the wondrous feeling he had was showing brightly in his powerful and sharp eyes.

This..._this_ was what he seemingly lived for every day and night of his life. He, Kazuya Mishima, had the same kind of freedom that every flying creature that has ever lived on earth, had. Only _this,_ the abilty to fly unhindered by the world was something that would be near impossible to give up for anything. It was actually the only thing that was good enough to stop that strange and negative feeling he would get sometimes, and right now, just like always, he was enjoying it.

...

He looked at everything, everything that for some perfect reason, looked that much more beautiful when the full moon and the stars were out, not a cloud in sight. Yes, of all things that life had to offer, this was beyond everything else, he was sure of it.

He flapped his wings once again, and increased his speed.

The cool wind brushed his skin, the moonlight made him glow, the trees and all forms of vegetation below smelled very good and fresh to his sensitive nose, and all these sensations combined, finally allowed Kazuya to half-smile. {_Life just can't get any better than this. I don't need anything else._} Strangely enough, when he thought this, that same negative feeling lightly wormed it's way into him again, though not as strong as before.

He frowned slightly, but ignored it.

"..."

At this point, he was beginning to get close to the town, so he changed direction and began to gain altitude. Man, he just couldn't get enough of this. With little effort he went straight up, and then, he stopped to hover in one spot, his gaze going down to the small establishment where the people lived. He was so high up in the sky that if anything, any person that happened to look in his direction would barely be able to see his wings.

"..." He continued to observe everything, still awed as he always was when he looked at such an amazing view. Everything was just so...different...that is, when he managed to see it like this. He turned his head to see if there were any boats or ships in the bay area, or if any were coming from the mainland. One of the things he enjoyed to do when he was out flying, was to glide just above the surface of the ocean. Whenever it was glittering in such a way, and he flew over it, it just gave him a rush that he liked.

Very pleasing to him was the fact that nope, there were no vessels in the water.

Deciding that he wanted to NOT dwell on whatever possible reason he was feeling these strange things within him, he began to drop.

Oh yes, he would have another good night tonight.

OOO

Author's Note: So, do you guys think this has potential?

This story, if I get enough incentive, will be an alternate take on the entire Tekken series. The earliest it would ever stop is around Tekken Three, but if there are enough people that tell me that they can see a lot of good come out of this, I believe I'll continue on.

One thing to note is that Kazuya's Devil Form looks much more different then his original or the Blood Vengeance one. In this story, the colors are red, white, and black, BUT, his aura and 'Inferno' laser are the trademark purple we all know and love. I like the yellow color, but I prefer purple.

So, basically, Kazuya's Demonic Energy in all it's forms are purple, and his normal energy is the electric blue that has always been him.

Lastly, his eyes when in Devil Form or when partially using his Devil Powers, are purple. When he's partially manifested something, only his irides are red. When in full Devil Form, the entirety of his eyes are a bioluminescent purple.

Finally, Kazuya's Inferno blast sounds exactly as it does in the first Tekken Tag Tournament game. It's a drawn out ₩₩₩₩₩₩ sound, not a mere 'zap' like from Tekken 5 onward.

Oh and one more thing...what do you guys think of Kazuya having long hair? I would think that Alucard from Hellsing or Jackie Estacado from the first The Darkness game would give a good example of what his hair looks like, but I suppose it's up to you guys on how wild or tame his hair looks.

Anyway, thanks for giving this story a chance, and I will hopefully come out with a new chapter! Later! :D


	2. The Unknown

Author's Note: "Just so's yah know, wer travelling at the speed ah light, so uh, _roll_ when ya dive."

Well, no one said anything about the last chapter, but surprisingly, there were many visitors, and way more views, which tells me that a lot of you guys decided to reread the first chapter, so I figured I would give more tasty delectables to you all, in the form of some more plot development! Sorta. :3

Anyway, I didn't want to spend much time on all of the factors that surround Kazuya and his living conditions, so I decided to fast forward a little.

My goal with these first few chapters is to just get some proper elements in, and until our favorite Demon-man-thing and Angel-Ballerina-munchkin finally meet each other, some things will be introduced quick, but after that, I'm killing the motor and letting everything drift at a calm pace.

Now before you read, one last thing: KAZUYA HAS LONG HAIR! It's easy to simply imagine him with his traditional hairstyle, but I've gotten so sick and tired of the average dumbass always saying how he looks like Vegeta from Dragonball Z, so I decided to do something different, but other than that, his style of clothing will be very similar to what he wears in canon...unless you take in what I have to say at the bottom of this chapter...

Anyway get some popcorn and read DAMNIT!

Tekken

Red Mist

Chapter Two

The Unknown

* * *

It isn't often that worldwide events take place.

The Olympics are usually the only event that people seem to care about, but even the Olympics cannot best the innate need of the average person to see _other_ people beat the hell out of each other. Word of the King Of The Iron Fist Tournament was spreading _fast._ It was astonishing that every major city in the world had news of the competition, and as you can guess, there was an entire menagerie of people who were training for this event. Of course, many of them were mainly in this just for the money, the common riff-raff that knew absolutely nothing about hand-to-hand combat.

Even so, no one can really say it was ridiculous to enter a tournament to win such an enormous amount of money.

There _were_ those few people who actually needed or wanted that money to make something good out of it. Either way, this one event, this one competition had far more going for it in the shadows than anyone could ever realize.

There was one exception to this however.

All over the world, hundreds, to thousands, to millions, and eventually to billions of humans lived in vastly different environments to each other. Some have lost their history as they've entered the age of industrialization, and technology has made life easier for them. However, in certain regions of the world, there were those that were able to stick to their roots even as they continued to grow with the their ever-changing world.

The common sense of people who live in massive cities says that the realm of the supernatural or things considered beyond human were not possible, except on the big screen or in a fantasy book, or your average cartoon show. In the reality of _this_ world however...more than the norm was very much alive and in existence, just not in the public eye.

All this information leads us to the youthful woman who was standing on the balcony of her apartment.

If there was anyone who can be considered an enigma that cannot be explained once they took action, it was her.

She was wearing a white cardigan with a dark red t-shirt underneath, and light gray cargo pants. What stood out on her person however was the pearl-white hairband she had neatly placed atop her head.

She sighed, a soft smile on her face when the cool wind gently caressed her face. {_How I wish I could be back home already..._} She thought. For now, she had rent out this apartment because she had official business. Or at least, that was the initial reason she had been here. For the past few months now, she's been troubled by strange dreams and dark premonitions. In each case she was never harmed or was getting close to it in fact, but for some reason, they seemed to point in one direction.

She blinked, a look of contemplation on her face.

She had to wonder if someone up high was just giving her a chance to pass final judgement on the man who created this new 'Tekken' tournament. Even to this day, she could clearly remember what Heihachi had done to that boy...and it had taken her years of training and discipline to discard the hatred that had festered within. Now, with these visions and things she was experiencing, she wondered what the man could possibly be doing to the point that it was actually affecting her before anything had actually happened.

She frowned, a rare thing for her, and gripped the necklace around her neck. God damn it, she did NOT need this! It seemed the memory of the poor boy who saved her would just never go away, and every time she remembered the look of horror mixed with hurt he had directed to his father _as he fell and screamed_ while falling into that ravine...the moisture always found its way back into her eyes. "Hnn!" She bit her lip, refusing to let another sound come out of her.

"..." She breathed heavily. {_Unbelievable...I've had a great day so far, and all it takes is thinking back to that one moment for it to be completely ruined...I need to do something productive._} She thought, doing what she could to relax herself. To help, she began to go over the reason that she made regarding everything that was happening: First, the premonitions started. Then, Heihachi announces the competition not to far off, and then...she decided she would not enter this tournament, merely watch.

Something just told her that she had no need to, and then of course the fact that she would not allow the deeds of the past to cloud her judgement and make her do something she would forever regret. Also, staying out of the line of fire would allow her to see for herself what and who would be in this tournament. If it wasn't Heihachi's evil that was the cause of the dark visions, then who could _possibly_ be more malevolent than _him?_

That was a question she needed to have answered, and somehow, she knew the tournament would answer it.

OOO

**Some Several Miles To The West...**

_There was light everywhere._

_First there were houses, then he was talking to random strangers. However, there were bits here and there that were not of the natural world._

_In one instance, there was a strange pyramid, and an ominous figure stood at the very top, its eyes glowing a blazing red and orange, while the night and full moon behind it kept its physical appearance from being seen. For some reason, the man who was experiencing all this felt immense hatred for the entity, and he had the distinct feeling that the humanoid had wronged him somehow...and if he didn't know any better, he would say the worst thing that could ever be done, had been committed by the entity._

_Before he could ponder why he felt this, the scenery changed, and a dark wasteland was seen...and a familiar person stood tall, only looking as if the devil himself had possessed the man._

_"Kazuya...KILL ME ALREADY!" He roared, the whirlwinds growing in intensity._

_Once more, the scenery changed...and an egyptian temple formed from nothing. Without knowing how, Kazuya was suddenly inside the temple...and his very blood seemed to ignite as a creature of monstrous proportions came stomping out of the shadows...yet, even though its mere presence made the monster within him awaken, Kazuya sensed no malice from it._

_**"So, you have come...Strange, I did not expect you to be of japanese descent...perhaps there were more cursed because of me than I thought...it matters little..." **_Even though his voice was deep, daunting and otherworldly, he sounded somber...as if something terrible had happened. _**"Either way, you are much too late. She has been turned. I thought that her powers of purification would allow her to put an end to all this...but I am sorry to say that without you, she lost the will to continue the fight...and now..."**_ As the creature said this, he fell on one knee, his strength waning, and an ominous black sludge, or perhaps oil began to appear all over his body, slowly dissolving him._  
_

Kazuya watched in silence. His instincts were telling him that he just forever lost something, and even if he did not admit it...he felt that that which he apparently just lost...was a person.

**_"She is not the human you once knew any longer...all that is left is a monster that exceeds even me..."_** As the beast continued to hold on to its life, the walls of the temple, well really, _everything_ was being enveloped by the strange substance from somewhere _behind_ the massive creature. _** "Kazuya...trying times are ahead...you must ascend beyond the mistakes of all the others that have come before you...and the only person that would have made it worth it, the one that would have gladly walked alongside you through it all...is now your greatest enemy."**_

The beast was unable to say another word, because two titanic arms, formed from the black oil, appeared on either side of the beast...and crushed it. Rather than dissolving further, the beast exploded, violet energies unleashed in a massive shockwave.

Kazuya had to shield his eyes, and a sense of dread that he had not felt in years came over him. As he waited for the bright light to disappear, he heard the ominous liquid continue to overtake the temple, and then, he heard something that made his heart ache.

**"Heheheheheheh..."**

"..."

Laughter is often something uttered when people were in good and humorous times...but Kazuya knew that right now was not such a time...and it was also because of the fact that he somehow knew he heard that childish giggle before, except not ominous, did Kazuya realize why his very soul seemed to cry out in pain. And, on instinct alone, the need to see for himself in desperation that what he heard did not come from someone he just _knew_ should never be taken by the darkness, Kazuya put his arm down and looked in front of him...and his breath caught in his throat.

Only now did Kazuya realize that the dream he was having had been slowly shifting once again, and only now did Kazuya realize that the temple had been withered away to be replaced by what he can only describe as a dark marshland with death and decay everywhere, or just one of the worst places in hell. All around, massive rotting flowers, skeletons, and the same black substance stretched as far as the eye could see.

And there, standing in the center of it all, was a dark figure, somehow shrouded in shadow, to the point that Kazuya could only discern two facts as he looked on. One, this figure had bioluminescent golden eyes...and two, because it was apparently naked, he could tell that this person was a female.

Kazuya stood there, unable to move, say or do anything at all. Everything was just so surreal that there was nothing more he wanted to do right now than wake up. This figure, this woman standing about thirty feet away from him had his attention in a way that _no one_ had ever managed. His stomach churned, his body could only relax, because for some reason...this woman had something important to do with him.

He remembered exactly what the previous demon-thing that was destroyed earlier had said. All these things led to Kazuya feeling and experiencing the one thing that was causing his, mind, body and soul to lose any will to live.

What Kazuya was feeling right now...was the Pain Of Loss, and he knew that that was because of what he was seeing.

The figure began walking towards him.

In response, Kazuya tried to fight the paralysis his body had undergone. He had to get away from her. He didn't know why, he didn't know how, but he just knew that if he allowed her to get near him...he would lose himself. Regarding that, his body began to tense and react to his commands as his will grew stronger. Yes, his fingers and hands were the start.

The woman was halfway towards him.

What came as a shock to him was that unlike with the beast earlier, the monster within him had calmed the instant that Kazuya's vision had landed on the woman, as if it accepted her existence. This deeply troubled Kazuya, because in his heart, he knew this woman was not who she was supposed to be anymore. How he knew that, he didn't know...but that no longer mattered now.

You see, in his attempts to undo the paralysis, he had closed his eyes...and while his eyes had been closed...

**"Heheheheheheh..."**

Kazuya's eyes shot wide open...and he slightly craned his head downward.

She was standing right in front of him.

"..."

Kazuya stared at her, managing to look angry. However, he was still unable to say anything. As he looked at her, the darkness that had enshrouded her body began to disappear. Now, Kazuya could clearly see that almost her entire body was covered in the same black liquid that was everywhere else. Other than that, she wore no clothing.

Then came her hair and face. The dark locks were untamed, yet somehow very orderly, and as Kazuya looked at the center, he realized that she had originally been wearing something that had in fact made it uniformed once upon a time. Unlike his hair, hers was short enough that it barely went passed her shoulders, while his had reached the middle of his pectorals.

And, as he looked at her face...he swore he recognized her. Her lips were an unhealthy purple, no doubt caused by the corruption of her body, and as was said before, her eyes, specifically, her irises were a bioluminescent gold. She had no blemishes, but Kazuya could easily say that the dark oil ruined a potential perfect image. As for herself...she looked at him with a devious expression, and Kazuya could swear that he could almost hear her thinking of the many possible ways she could kill him.

It was at this time that Kazuya looked down at himself to see what he was wearing, not really sure why he did. He then realized that he was wearing his trademark gloves, but instead of red, they were a very dark purple. The same was for his Hakama pants. He didn't know if he was wearing foot guards, because all he felt on his feet was the deceptively harmless oil, and as he could clearly see, he didn't have a shirt on, which was a bit traditional when it came to him.

The woman took one more step forward, and raised both her arms.

Kazuya tensed, unable to do anything. To his surprise, she leaned against him, and at the same time, she put her hands on either side of his face, and her eyes became half-lidded. Dare he say it...she appeared to be looking at him with a loving expression.

**"Touch me..."** She finally spoke in a hushed tone.

Kazuya immediately obeyed, shock overcoming him.

He had been struggling so hard to command his body to do what he wanted it to do, yet all it took was the distorted, yet soft voice of this woman for his body to act. Or was it him? Was he seriously compelled to do what she wanted? Either way, his arms wrapped around her waist, _possessively_ I might add, and pulled her closer in until she was completely pressed up against him.

He continued to look at her, his expression of anger fading. The woman in turn began to lightly massage his scalp and play with his hair, and surprisingly, the dark substance that covered her hands and forearms did not attach to him.

For the most part, Kazuya just allowed her to be. Her actions were nothing like what he was led to believe would happen, so he took advantage of that to allow himself time to think.

Okay, so far, he saw four enormously powerful beings, and he knew that they all had to be real, because his grandfather had been one of them. He also took in the fact that he had to have some sort of connection with each, this woman many times over. From what he could also tell, this woman was the strongest out of all of them. One probably would not say that if you took a picture of all four of them standing together, but in their actual presence...you could definitely feel the differences in their auras.

Kazuya blinked when she brought both of her arms down, held her right against herself, and used her left to draw circles across his muscled torso.

Why was she acting like this? Kazuya had come to the conclusion that this woman was a threat, so for what possible reason would she-

She rested her head against him. **"...Why did you leave me?"** She asked, her voice full of hurt. It was such an odd question, but then, what could one expect from a dream? Whatever the case, Kazuya immediately felt as if he had an answer, he just didn't know what, so he asked her a question instead. "What are you talking about?" From the way they were interacting, Kazuya theorized that they indeed knew each other in some way...the problem was, he never got this close to any women before in his life, as far as he could remember anyway.

The first inkling of malice appeared in her aura.

She looked at him with a stern expression, and before Kazuya could say anything, she growled. **"Why did you leave me?"** She asked again, anger seeping into her voice. In response, Kazuya began to regain more control, and he grew even angrier than she apparently was. He _hated_ it when he was accused of doing something terrible, especially when he did not do such a thing. "I asked you what you were talking about. Who are you?" If he couldn't wake up from this dream, then he would conquer it.

Or at least that is what he had believed.

The next thing Kazuya knew, she had impaled him through his right lung, all the way through his body, and her expression turned into one of sadistic satisfaction. She watched as he stood there with a look of disbelief on his face, and then, taking her right hand, she slipped some of the blood that had splattered onto both of them, and licked it off of her finger.

When Kazuya saw this, he lost control of himself. How DARE she attack him! He didn't even know who she WAS!

Faster than the woman could have ever anticipated, she was suddenly launched into the air, literally stunned from the lightning infused uppercut that Kazuya delivered.

He was _infuriated._ And, quickly taking this fight into his control, he sent her spinning in the air through his Abolishing Fist technique, and watched as she landed hard on the ground. From there, he began to stomp his way towards her, blue and violet electrical energy charging through him, while his body and height began to change. On the ground, the woman coughed, not entirely surprised but definitely on edge as the man she had an attraction to, began to unleash the monster within him.

Kazuya knew his wound meant absolutely nothing here in his mind, but his regenerative ability still did its work as he walked towards her, his expression hardening.

As he anticipated, two arms appeared on either side of him while he was only one fourth of the way transformed, but as he prepared to defend himself, he heard something completely out of place.

What sounded like a fucked up microphone turned on.

_"UHH, if everyone will turn to look out on the window to the right UHH, you'll see that UHH, we are arriving at our destination."_

X

Kazuya slowly woke up from his slumber. He kept his eyes closed and took a few deep breaths.

{_That was the most vivid dream I have had so far...joy._} He thought sarcastically. It seemed that something or someone had decided that he was destined to experience some major things in life, and it pissed him off to no end. Now, he was slightly beginning to regret his decision to get on this plane. And, taking the advice of the dull-witted pilot, Kazuya turned to the row on his right.

Yup, he was back in Japan. How he hated it. The people, the culture, the customs, he hated all of it. It was one of the reasons that he had moved off of the mainland.

He growled silently in annoyance and got himself into a sitting position. Luckily, there were not many other passengers on board, so was able to enjoy the peace and quiet to the point that he got bored, and slept to pass the time. He was wondering now if he should have done that or not.

Back home, he knew he had everything, so why? Just why?

"Hn..." He calmed himself and took on a look of indifference when he heard someone walk up to him from behind. "Excuse me sir, would you like a snack or a drink?" The woman asked with a smile. Kazuya gained a look of thought, then nodded, making eye contact with the attractive brunette. "Bottled water please. Do you have that?" He asked. "As a matter of fact we do, Ice cold I presume?"

"Please." He gave her a half-amused expression, which was genuine enough to make her smile brightly, though he noticed her cheeks had turned slightly pink. "Of course sir, I'll be right back." She said with a pleased voice, and Kazuya noticed how she walked with a little more 'umph' than before. He forced his eyes to look away when she suddenly stopped, giving the impression she had forgotten something.

As he predicted, she spun around and walked towards him with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, I forgot to offer you some freshly baked pumpkin pie that the chef was charged with making for all passengers. Would you like some? Each group can have one whole pie to themselves. After that, any more are at full price." When she smiled at him, he raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know this airline had a personal chef. That's interesting." He told her with slight wonder in his voice. At this, the woman smiled even brighter. "Heheheh, surprising isn't it? My twin sister is the chef really. She's an insanely talented cook." She said, taking the moment to make as much conversation with the strikingly handsome man as she could. "I see, well then, when you put it that way, I guess I can't refuse. Yes, I'll have one. And some silverware as well please. I think I'll try it right away."

Once more, the woman smiled brightly, but before she could speak, Kazuya continued. "You said earlier to the entire crowd here that your name is Manami, correct?" He asked, his arms on either armrest of his seat, and with his head turned directly at her, he gave off an image of strength and attractiveness that made Manami's face warm up. She smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of her head, much to Kazuya's amusement.

It wasn't very often he spoke to someone who was very pleasant.

"U-Um, yes, I did in fact say that." She answered, completely embarrassed how he could fluster her without even being flirtatious. "Well then Manami, I'll be sure to refer to you by name if I want anything else. I saw a few other women come by and even spoke with them, but they don't seem very genuine in their approach to their job, unlike you."

"T-Thank you! H-Haha, I'll just go ahead and get you your things!"

Before the man could even reply, she gave him another smile and began speed-walking away.

"..." Kazuya once more became indifferent, and turned to look out the window. {_Well, whatever my dreams have been trying to tell me, I'm certain at least some light will be shed here at the tournament.._} As he thought this, he focused on the city, but the image of the woman from his dream came right back.

His expression hardened. {_Who are you?_} He tried to think of anyone he could have met in life that looked even remotely close to her, but no one came up...except a young girl from days long past.

{_A hairband...she once wore a hairband..._}

OOO

Author's Note: So, NOW do you guys have more interest? Haha, if not then fuck you.

JUST KIDDING.

Anyway, if you'd like to know what some characters will look like as I try and describe them, the best place to look Is Tekken Tag 2 and Tekken revolution. Taking examples from there is the best way I have of letting you guys know what people look like, so yeah.

I believe that is all I have to say...no wait, something important just popped up, and that would be chapter length. The reason these first two were short in comparison to what I normally write is because not very many people seem to care about Tekken anymore, less so a couple fic, unless it has a lot of smut. I can't believe how poorly written fics with dirty stuff on them have so many follows and 'reviews.'

Look, I'm not gonna tell you what you can or can't do, but perhaps some of you are reasonable enough to respect the characters for who they are? Because if you're expecting sex in this story, it's not gonna happen.

This story is about giving Jun and Kazuya the life they should have had instead of what Namco did to them. So there, I hope I gave enough insight and I hope someone can at least tell me whats good or not to them about this story.

Later.


	3. The Monster

Author's Note: "Hey, how are ya? Wonderful weather we're having."

Okay people, this chapter was cut short, but it IS twice as long as the previous TWO. AHAHAHAHAHAHA. I believe I'll be losing my internet soon, so I had to get another chapter out.

ANYWAYS, the purpose of this chapter is to show you all the creature that has taken Devil's place within Kazuya's mind as another personality or consciousness that was able to manifest because of the Devil Gene. If you know what Deadric Armor from Skyrim is, if you know what Torque's monster is from a horror game called The Suffering, and then try to cross those appearances with Kazuya's normal and BV Devil Form, then you will have an approximation as to this beast's deadliness.

Finally, a very special someone finally gets to meet Kazuya! :D

Hopefully I won't be without internet for long, so for now, enjoy!

I hope. :3

EDIT: I frickin forgot to tell you guys: In order to understand the kind of fear that Kazuya's inner demon is supposed to induce in anyone unfortunate enough to incite it's wrath, go to youtube and type in this: The Suffering Ost - Track 27.

The theme music is about 42 seconds long, and the youtube channel that has it is someone called 'stripedlady,' but anyway, it's all you need to understand the depth of the character I tried to create inside of Kazuya. Once you get into this chapter and come across the part that is describing the monster, play the music and try to visualize it running in a dark forest or abandoned factory.

If you're someone who cannot handle the horror genre, don't look it up, haha.

Anyway read on!

Tekken

Red Mist

Chapter Three

The Monster

* * *

**At The End Of The Day...**

If anyone had been in Kazuya's shoes right now...they would have heard a heartbeat somewhere in the one segment of his mind that was a deep abyss, and when it registered that he just sensed it, his gaze lightly hardened.

This was a mental queue, one that, over the years, he has learned to heed. Why? Well...as he was being escorted to wherever he would officially need to sign up for the tournament, he was reminded that this phenomenon was a result of the creature inside of him, now awakened and aware of the world just as Kazuya was...of course, only because Kazuya allowed it.

{_Silence..._} He warned the beast.

There had never really been a dispute or hatred for one another, especially since Kazuya knew he owed the monster for saving him from insanity, but at the same time, there had been moments in his life where the creature may not have made the best decision or percieved things the wrong way. Regardless, the monster never once thwarted him purposefully.

If there was ever a time when he did not listen to Kazuya, it was only when rage consumed it to the point where it's natural instincts to _kill mercilessly _ took over completely, and at such times, even Kazuya had never been able to regain control until their energy was exhausted. That in itself was the greatest reason Kazuya had made an incredible amount of effort to learn to control his temper, and be calm in any situation.

He watched the passing light posts and other cars that the taxi passed. {_You can come outside later when I can find the right place...I already told you to stop hibernating from time to time._} Even though Kazuya knew that the creature had awoke in his dream, he was still irritated that it would sleep for extended periods of time, which in turn would give it less chances to roam the world freely when Kazuya had nothing better to do, like now.

Yes, some time ago, the beast eventually grew tired of being confined in Kazuya's mind, so the man came up with a solution: When Kazuya was somewhere far from populated areas, he would let the monster gain control just so it could walk around and experience the world firsthand, but only for a maximum of six hours. The reason Kazuya only allowed this far away from other humans was for a simple reason: Kazuya's transformed state was terrifying.

It was never a simple mind-switch. Every time the creature was allowed it's share of control, Kazuya's potent blood would immediately change and enhance his body to completely manifest the beast. While Kazuya himself could always go into that form whenever he wished, he knew instinctively that as part of him, that state really was the true form of the monster within.

The only difference was who controlled Kazuya's body at whatever time.

Regarding that, it should also be noted that when the beast did not get the chance to walk around, he usually did his best to form as an invisible mass behind Kazuya. This was an acceptable accommodation unless there were any spirtualists or psychics around. The last time Kazuya passed a sacred shrine for whatever the reason he cannot even remember, it had almost ended in disaster.

He pinched the bridge of his nose when the beast 'officially' made it's presence known. {**_Nnnnnnnn..._**}

In response, Kazuya shifted so he was in a slightly more relaxed position. "..." He knew he didn't have to say anything. It wasn't as if there was much chance of them being sensed. So, he let the creature do what he wanted. And anyway, if there were a select few combatants that could sense the creature, they might just call it quits then and there, making this whole thing go by faster.

"How much longer?" He asked abruptly. The taxi driver answered easily, as if he had been expecting the question. "Oh you know, about ten minutes Mr. Mishima." He answered casually, seemingly relaxed, even though he was driving like a madman.

Kazuya simply looked out the window again. {_Good._}

Earlier that morning after he had gotten off the plane, he had checked in to a hotel that was neither expensive or rundown. The only reason why was because he didn't like the idea of being anywhere near any potential combatants, and that was for the simple reason that he wasn't here to make friends. Going to an official hotel for the tournament would just irritate him. "..." Besides that particular point, there was also the possibility of someone finding out about his creature, after all, he did not believe for a second that he was the only person with above-average sensory abilities.

Kazuya knew since the day of his first transformation that he could not be one-hundred percent human. From that point forward, there were few but important enough events and people he had come across that convinced him to always be aware of his surroundings and quell the monster inside just in case. He never took risks and he always tried to do things the smart way.

Right now, it was somewhere around eight-thirty, and after a boring day of watching tv, it was finally time to go to sign up for the tournament. He knew he was going to be late, and that was because not too long ago at the hotel, there had been a shooting. From what Kazuya learned, some drunk had gotten pissed that his ex-girlfriend was going out with another man. The reason Kazuya knew this was because he was the one that stopped it, and he had eventually been questioned for longer than his patience would normally allow.

Now, it was getting dark.

{_If I lose the chance at entering...I will not be happy._}

OOO

**At The Designated Location...**

There was so much noise.

As something of massive proportions, The King Of The Iron Fist Tournament had drawn an enormous crowd, and _this_ wasn't even the actual beginnings of the tournament.

Heihachi had personally rented a specific stadium with a roof that could actually open, and up at the top where the roof would normally be, a platform with a podium was suspended and visible, and though no one would be able to actually see who was standing up there, there were cameras and four massive screens around the stadium, with many small ones in the hallways and anywhere not in the main area.

The goal of this first event was to weed out the worthless ones who would have never made it far in the tournament, so instead of simply signing up, applicants would have to endure a series of tests. On one side of the ground of the stadium was all the applicants standing around and either talking, sizing up or just observing potential competition. On the other half of the stadium were different kinds of equipment and segmented areas obviously meant for whatever tests each person would go through.

Numbering close to two-hundred, there was no shortage of thick-heads and fighting champs in the least.

Somewhere in the many rows of seats all around the stadium, a familiar japanese woman sat calmly amidst the bustling crowd. "..." While this wasn't exactly the kind of place she liked to be, the fact was, she had to confirm a few things. She lightly took hold of her hair when a strong breeze lifted, and looking up, she was impressed by the view. With a clear sky that allowed all the stars to be seen, she found she had a new appreciation for stadiums like these.

But back to the reason as to why she was even here, so far, there was nothing out of the ordinary. All around her, she could sense that just about everyone here was pretty much normal, even the few combatants that were stronger than normal. She wasn't one to drop her guard however, for one, it was in her nature, and two, Heihachi had yet to show his face. If he was indeed going to be the host of today, then she would be prepared to see how tainted his mind and soul have become nowadays.

Down below, all of the applicants were being lined up at this point so names could be taken for later use.

With a sigh, the woman reclined lightly in the chair and waited to see what would happen tonight.

**Fifteen Minutes Later...**

All fighters were now accounted for, and with that now out of the way, one of the supervisors spoke into his microphone. From there, notifications were passed among the key employees, and from there, up upon the scaffolding that held the platform, a figure appeared from one of the archways.

The lights of the stadium began to dim, but several spotlights were directed to the podium, as well as the cameras. When it became obvious that things were starting, the crowd considerably lowered in volume, and the young woman immediately began to concentrate just a little more than usual. She looked at one of the far screens and the platform, and when it was obvious the darkness would not allow her to see who was walking across, she discreetly aimed her senses at the individual.

Immediately, she felt it.

Her eyes slightly widened in disbelief. {_He's even more twisted and foul than I had imagined...what is he playing at?_} She knew the moment she sensed him that her dreams and premonitions must have really meant something. However...the twisted nature of this man did not match the exact feeling she sometimes felt in her experiences. Regardless, she watched patiently as the one man she truly believed was evil, stepped into the light with an arrogant smirk.

The familiar spikes of hair on either side of his head were immediately noticeable, but around the middle, it was obvious he was balding as he grew older. Much to the woman's dismay, he seemed to be wearing a stylish jacket made of animal fur...tiger fur to be exact.

She really hoped that it was fake.

"Good evening everyone, welcome. I am Heihachi Mishima, and I am the creator of the King Of The Iron Fist Tournament." He began, leaning forward and directing his challenging gaze to seemingly every person in the stadium. "I'll make this quick and easy. There are no weaklings allowed. For that very reason, we are gathered here on this night. All applicants will be tested thoroughly and harshly. Only a small amount of combatants will be allowed to participate, and the rest of you worthless pieces of trash will be disposed of quickly enough. Let's see here..." Strangely enough, Heihachi took out a pair of binoculars and started scanning the fighters below.

As he did so, several spotlights were directed down to them all so Heihachi could see them properly. "Hmm...as I suspected, there is great diversity here. However..." He continued to look and look, but the one person he was looking for was not present. "Well, it seems my first tournament may be dull. A renowned world champion is not here..."

X

Somewhere in the hallways of the stadium, a figure was walking in the dimly lit areas.

{_Ten minutes he said! Look at this!_} He had been so close to breaking at least _one_ of the man's limbs, and as he thought this, he caught sight of one of the television screens while he tried to navigate. {_Heihachi..._} He thought, his anger beginning to climb once again. Looking around at the signs, he started to speed-walk towards the testing grounds.

Behind him, his monster silently watched everything.

X

"As you are all well aware, this tournament is for everyone who can properly use their fists." Heihachi continued, putting down his binoculars and taking a glance to the security screen hidden discreetly on his right. He smirked when he saw the figure walking down the hallways. "As such, there is one martial artist known far and wide that I knew would not pass up the chance to enter this one."

By now, it had gotten very quiet in the stadium, and many people were wondering what he was talking about.

"Just now I stated that he wasn't here..." As he said this, he witnessed the figure stop momentarily, and Heihachi knew that the person could hear him. {_I almost didn't recognize him because of his hair, but I would recognize that permanent scowl and posture anywhere..._} He thought in dark amusement. "However, I happen to have a magic box right here that let's me keep an eye on the main hall through which all applicants would have to pass in order to get down _there._" He pointed his finger to the ground and fighters below.

"Earlier I was told that none of the combatants were famous in any way. I had my doubts, and now I see there was plenty of reason to believe that this tournament would be worthwhile. Heh. None of you can tell, but our last and undoubtedly most well-known martial artist is here, just fashionably late. So, if the spotlights will be directed down at the entrance..." He ordered.

Up in the stands, the young woman froze. She felt something. {_W-What is this?_} She thought, unable to understand what she was feeling. She wasn't even directing her senses to wherever it was coming from, so what would happen if she _did?_ She turned her gaze, as did everyone else in the stadium, and Heihachi began to speak once again.

"Ladies and gentleman, you all know that I myself am a master martial artist. Recently however, one who shares my very blood has been rising in the ranks all over the world. You could say he's a chip off the old block." From his perspective, he saw the figure walking towards the entrance where all the light was being directed, or at least the spotlights.

All around the stadium, only a few display lights were on, but other than that, everything except the entrance was veiled in shadow.

The figure came closer to the entrance.

Heihachi smirked. "Ha!" His amusement became evident to all. "If none of you have figured it out by now, then allow me to introduce him. Known far and wide as the Cold-Blooded Prince, put your hands together for one of the most dangerous men you will ever see on the face of the earth: My one and only son."

The cameras panned in closer.

In her spot, the young woman held her hand over her heart. {_His son? But that would mean..._}

After a few tense seconds, someone stepped out into the light.

All eyes focused either on him or the massive displays, and hundreds upon hundreds immediately recognized him. Wearing a white T-shirt and dark red karate pants, tied by a white belt, his trademark gloves and footguards on each respective limb, Kazuya momentarily stopped and held his left hand over his face in order to allow his eyes to adjust to the immense light.

More than half of the stadium began to cheer and applaud as if there was no tomorrow.

"Ladies and gentleman, this tournament of mine will undoubtedly be the most intense one ever to grace the world. Say hello to Kazuya Mishima." Heihachi smirked arrogantly as he looked at the son he had once thought had truly perished. {_Look at him, strong and silent. He doesn't look ready to murder anyone however. Perhaps he hit his head on the way down and forgot his memory of me._}

As the other combatants looked at Kazuya and the crowd gave their applause, the man himself finally put his arm down, his eyes finally getting used to the light. His stern expression, accompanied by the way his dark hair fell down the sides of his head and face, down passed his shoulders, gave such a strong and mysterious look that most were caught off guard by the uniqueness of his appearance.

{_Bastard..._} His gaze went straight to the suspended platform high above the ground. While the respect he gained from his reputation was very apparent, he appreciated it only to a small degree because he knew how fickle people could be. "...Hn..." He looked around with a stern expression, and noticed that just about every display in the stadium was showing him to every person there. {_Look at all those third-rate neanderthals...almost none of them have a true fighting spirit._} He observed the other fighters, every single one examining him in a different manner.

Due to the fact that all the attention was on him in various ways, he didn't think of expanding his senses. If he had, he would have sensed the fact that up their in the crowd, someone else could clearly see his secret.

{_That is no normal spirit..._} The woman thought, looking in complete perplexity. From her vantage point, she saw something dark standing behind Kazuya, towering over him. Never once had she seen any sort of spirit that looked like this one. Well, in actuality, she couldn't actually see it's physical form, but either way, it's aura told her that whatever the creature was, it was hiding itself to the best of it's ability from those such as herself.

Obviously it needed Kazuya's help to completely hide, or perhaps it just didn't have enough skill to hide itself from her specifically. Regardless, the woman was unsure as to whether it was a threat or not. As Heihachi began to speak again, she did her best to analyze it and Kazuya.

For starters, Kazuya seemed calm enough, at least on the surface. She didn't dare try to seek more by prodding his soul, because if Kazuya had supernatural senses like her, he would discover her immediately.

Knowing that...she just took in his appearance. He had changed in so many ways since the last time she saw him. Back then he had been very kind-hearted and usually had a smile on his face when she was around...now however, all she felt from him was a cold and indifferent aura. His expression was stern, unhappy and devoid of most emotions. However, he wasn't totally different, and that was because of the few things he allowed to the surface, there was a tiny bit of something positive, and though she couldn't identify what it meant, she found herself suddenly experiencing a large amount of happiness and relief.

He hadn't been consumned by hatred it seemed. Because of this, she couldn't stop the smile that came to her face.

Next came whatever creature was standing behind-actually, now it seemed to be walking around a bit, and it's attention seemed to go to some strange american that had approached Kazuya. Suppressing the surprise from seeing that this creature had more freedom than she realized, she focused more on it's appearance. As stated, it's real appearance wasn't there. Instead, it looked like a dark mass of clouds held together in the physical shape of an enormous humanoid.

If you can imagine what clouds would look like if you were to pass through them at an incredible speed, that would be the best way to describe the weird look to what the beast had. The woman knew that if it made no effort to hide itself, she would be able to see it with one-hundred percent clarity. But anyway, putting that aside, the woman tried to discern why it had it's particular body shape.

Once more, the creature was much taller than Kazuya and much larger. The only thing they shared however was that they both had humanoid shapes, Kazuya more-so than the creature. That, however, was only one of two things they shared.

Everything else was completely different.

Since it was only a mass of dark clouds currently, it was hard to tell, but it seemed it's legs had various spikes coming out of the sides. In fact, all over various spots on it's body, the same spikes jutted out. Another disturbing fact was that even though it's right arm was _mostly_ normal...the left one was an entirely different story. The shoulder to the elbow was fine...but the forearm and hand were simply not there. In place of that was a _blade._ From the tip to the elbow, it extended far enough that if the creature was not hunched over slightly and holding it's arms outward to the sides, the blade would drag along the ground.

On it's back were two massive wings, large and wide enough to the point that they would be able to carry something that large. Another thing was the large tail that looked as if it were ready to impale the blond man that was seemingly talking smack to Kazuya. Then, the woman noticed that it had strange horns on it's head, and then the second similarity it had with Kazuya was that it retained his long hair...just a bit...strange...as if the hair were individual blades cascading around each other.

Her curiosity far outweighed any fear she possibly had. The reason for this was the fact that she couldn't understand the purpose of the creature. It's appearance alone told her that it was literally born with no other reason but to kill. However...she couldn't sense any evil from it whatsoever. How the hell did _that_ work? {_What happened to you back then?_} Even if this apparent demon was not inherently evil, the fact that it was even there was proof enough that Kazuya experienced more than horrendous physical trauma on that fateful day.

She watched silently, the shock from finding that he was indeed alive instead of dead as she had been led to believe coming right back. She also became tense very slightly because of the way that the beast within Kazuya began to circle both him and the american.

"-and there ain't NO WAY you're gonna stop me from being the strongest in the universe! HA!"

Kazuya looked at him, not amused in the least. "If your breath didn't smell so terrible and your choice of clothes didn't make you look like a rip-off, I might be inclined to respect your declaration." He told the man flatly. Paul Phoenix was many things, but to Kazuya, he was nothing special, because this time around, if he were to go head-to-head with Paul once again, Kazuya would show no mercy.

Even his monster looked at Paul in only slight curiosity, knowing he wasn't much of a threat to Kazuya's existence.

Paul put his hands on his waist and looked down at his karate gi. "What's wrong with my clothes?" He asked in genuine confusion. Kazuya rubbed his temple to alleviate the impending headache. "Look at how tattered and trashy you have your garments in. The fact that you tore off the sleeves proves to me that you're trying to come off as a hardass."

Kazuya hardened his gaze when his monster immediately took notice of the asian man walking towards them with a sort of apologetic expression. "Paul, leave him alone man. He's probably had a rough day."

{_It's fine. He isn't here to start a fight. Calm yourself._} The Mishima gave a glare of warning to the beast while the other two looked at each other. The creature, appearing the same way to Kazuya as it did to the woman, merely grunted with a nod, though it was a little difficult for Kazuya to see that. The reason he knew that the beast had become wary of the man was because unlike Paul , he exuded an aura of strength that Kazuya immediately recognized.

{_This one is different from the rest._} He thought, slightly impressed.

"-and in accordance to that, we have until midnight for all applicants to get their scores in. Now, all of you, carry on and show me if you have what it takes to be the first King Of The Iron Fist Tournament!" Heihachi boomed from the podium.

With that, Kazuya watched as the other fighters were motioned into groups.

"Hn."

OOO

**Some Time Later...And With Kazuya's Patience Nearly Being Exhausted Because Of Paul...**

{_Finally, it's over._}

Kazuya stood with his arms crossed, standing as far away from the testosterone-induced american. All throughout the night, Paul had been trying to 'compete' with Kazuya in almost every test they had to go through, and the latter only kept it together because of smug satisfaction in that he scored higher than Paul in every single one.

All tests were meant to test one's endurance, strength and agility. All the information was displayed on the four massive screens, and since everyone was done, a certain Mishima went back to his spot high upon the platform.

"Well now..." His voice quieted many. "As everyone who has been patient enough to watch the applicants go through all these trials can see, every single one has finished. Here's the kicker: Only the top twenty will be admitted into the tournament!" As he said this, he took in the reactions to those who scored either in the middle or below, and smirked when he saw that many had lost the fire they had from before.

"Those top twenty can stay here. The rest of you get the hell out of here and try again next time!" He shouted with another arrogant expression. At the same time, the top twenty combatants were displayed on all screens, and to Kazuya's genuine surprise, he came in first, and immediately behind him was Marshall Law and a stange looking individual called Yoshimitsu.

He expected to have the ability to enter, but he didn't actually expect to be out on top.

He knew people were staring at him, probably thinking that Heihachi had rigged the scores in Kazuya's favor, but he didn't care. He kept his eyes on the podium, not so patiently waiting to finish up for the night. {_Get on with it you pompous spit-fuck!_} He knew how much the elder Mishima liked to hear himself talk, and right now, it was way to apparent for his liking.

His muscles tensed in irritation, but he calmed himself by taking a steadying breath.

"Now then, those of you who entered, we will have a simple numbering system for the battles to come. Each person will then be given a device that allows my employees to contact you directly and tell you where each fight will take place. Of course, we will let the public know through advertisements, but should any of you not hear or see them on television, radio or whatever, then you will have our portable devices. Simple, isn't it?"

Kazuya watched his competition interact with one-another, already itching to leave.

"So yes, just wait to be given a number and our equipment, and then I would ask that you stay so that many of your new fans here in the crowd can meet you. That's all for today gentleman, and you few ladies." Heihachi turned off the monitor next to him when the cameras stopped filming him, and began to leave. Though he thought he had everything in the bag, and you could see it because of his cocky expression, he didn't realize how two very specific individuals could sense his dreadful intentions.

Down on the stadium ground and up in the many rows of seats, Kazuya and the young woman watched Heihachi until he was out of sight.

The former however quickly went up to one of Heihachi's lackeys and got him by the collar, surprising the other few people who saw him do it. "Give me a number and whatever the hell Heihachi was talking about. Now. I don't have any intention to stay here." What Kazuya didn't realize is that he wasn't protecting himself at that moment from any outside sources, and the young woman immediately jumped on the chance.

What she found forced her to make a decision right away, and stood up.

OOO

**Seven Minutes Later...**

Kazuya was the first to get out of the stadium. He had no intention of talking to people were who claimed to be his fans, yet would easily turn their backs just because they heard a simple rumor. In the beginning he had been calmly polite with people who rooted for him, but different experiences had exhausted his patience with the average person. So here he was, walking through the partially bustling hallways of the stadium.

Most of the people he passed were the applicants who failed at entering the tournament. He paid them no mind and kept walking, until his monster suddenly decided to try and communicate with him.

{_**Wait...**_} It spoke, it's deep and daunting voice one of the few things that ever made Kazuya tense in apprehension. Now was not one of those times, but Kazuya heeded it's request nonetheless. {_**Pure...a pure human knows of us...**_} Kazuya had not felt the woman from before taking a peek at his soul earlier, so it made sense that he didn't immediately get how he beast would know that, but he sure as hell understood the beast's statement.

As not to look suspicious, Kazuya went to one of the fountains and started to drink some nice cool clean water, and only then did he realize how thirsty he actually was. {_And you didn't think of telling me this earlier? Wonderful. Either way, I am leaving now._}

{**_No...Wait..._**} Under normal circumstances, Kazuya normally got his way, so it came as an enormous surprise that the monster inside of him, for the first time of it's own will, disagreed with him. {_Why?_} He asked in genuine confusion, and took a spot in front of a bunch of gathered tvs to act as if he was watching them. The creature that was his inner monster had always been something strange to Kazuya in terms of personality, but more often than not it always seemed to be looking out for him in any way it could.

It's curse was that it was born from Kazuya's rage and hatred, two emotions that made it difficult for it to think coherently. The fact that it was speaking to him told him that it took notice of something very important or just plain interesting. Though he did feel like leaving even more now that someone figured him out already, he was curious as to the reason his monster took great interest in this person. {_**It's...her...**_}

Kazuya finally tensed. He crossed his arms and hardened his expression. He knew exactly why he didn't want to think of who the beast was referring to, but he dared not admit it to himself. {_I have heard enough, I am leaving right-_}

Kazuya froze when he sensed something.

"Excuse me." A soft voice said from behind him.

"..."

It took all of his willpower , but in that one second, he was able to keep his composure, that is, until he turned around.

There were many people Kazuya had met in his life, and each and every single one of them, Kazuya could read like a book. For some strange reason, Kazuya could not do so right now.

It was a woman.

Most women Kazuya met always had some ulterior motive when it came to him, but if that was the case with _this_ particular girl...Kazuya could not see it. Perhaps it was because she looked genuinely happy to see him, this emotion being shown by a small smile and vibrant eyes, properly managed hair, immaculate features, something Kazuya did not believe could ever exist.

"...Yes?" He finally managed to say something and fully turned his body towards her, barely managing to look composed. She just...she had such a pleasant aura, so pure that Kazuya felt as if he was disrespecting her by tainting her presence with his own. Somehow, he could only concentrate on her alone. He didn't take notice of anything else, because he couldn't anymore...or at least that was until his beast pulsed once more in his mind.

The woman lightly laughed. "It's good to see you again Kazuya. I'm so glad that you're alive."

If Kazuya was shocked into submission before, then he was absolutely paralyzed now. The fact that she suddenly laughed a little more, in apparent joy and actually wiping a tear away, made it obvious enough for him to realize who she was, and suddenly, he didn't want to leave her at all. The events from his dream earlier this morning came straight back to him.

"...You're Jun, aren't you? Jun Kazama?" He asked, his tone calm and polite. The way she suddenly looked at him in pleasant surprise made a strange feeling appear in his belly. "You remember me? H-Haha, I'm glad, and a bit embarrassed. I must look so stupid crying like this...haha." She closed her eyes to wipe more tears away, and Kazuya suddenly felt as if he should do something. "You're the only person who has ever shed a tear for me, there is no need to feel embarrassed. Besides that, you should feel threatened if anything."

Jun looked up at him, slightly confused, until she realized something. "You aren't evil...no part of you is evil. Why should I feel threatened? You may have a monstrous spirit inside of you..." She noticed as he tensed with an uncomfortable expression. "...But that does not make you a bad person."

The unease in Kazuya's body immediately vanished, and he looked at her in surprise. "You aren't afraid?" He looked at her in a way that made her giggle. "Heheheheheh..." She smiled beautifully, making Kazuya's heart race a little faster, much to his surprise. "No, Kazuya, I'm not. Really, I'm curious more than anything...but anyway, how have you been?" She finally asked.

The beast within Kazuya seemed to rumble in amusement, and that told Kazuya that if the monster was completely fine with Jun's presence, then he would at least give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Perhaps we should get away from prying eyes before we talk, no?"

* * *

Author's Note: I know, I know, you want more KazXJun, and I promise you, that will be the center of focus next chapter, but I had to do other things also, because as it is, these first three chapters were rushed. Like I said last chapter though, come next chapter, everything is coming at a nice even pace.

And also, thanks to you four that actually said something! To the guest that asked how I chose the name for this story...well, that has entirely to do with Kazuya, or more specifically, his monster, and you'll find out why eventually.

Speaking of which, what do you all think of Kazuya's monster? As any of you who love horror games like The Suffering can tell, Kazuya's monster was inspired by that of Torque's from the aforementioned game. He is meant to induce real fear in Kazuya's enemies, and a bit of a wildcard. And yes, he can shoot the Devil Laser from his forehead. :)

And, he appears to have taken an interest in Jun, or at least become aware of Kazuya's interest in her to the point that the monster knows eventually it will have the role of helping Kazuya to protect her from harm.

And finally, Jun is HERE! YEAH. ON THE THIRD CHAPTER. THAT WAS QUICK HUH?

Ugh, I wanted to build it up more, but the fact that there are VERY few stories out there that have positive interactions between the two... I just couldn't resist.

So, all the important things have now been established, so uh, yeah. I promise I'll do better next time. :B


End file.
